EL SEGUNDO, CA -- Supply disruptions brought on by natural disasters in Japan will spur higher semiconductor pricing, particularly for memory, in 2011, a leading analyst said today.

FREMONT, CA ― EMS firm Ryder Industries will open a massive manufacturing campus in western China to take advantage of the push inland.

VICTOR, NY – Redcom Laboratories has launched a electronics manufacturing services unit here.

Redcom EMS is an extension of the firm’s in-house electronics manufacturing capability. The new business focuses on small and new OEMs whose products incorporate complex, mid-to-high density printed circuit board assemblies.

The EMS firm offers expertise in burn-in, thermal cycling, and other accelerated aging processes.

SAN JOSE – An upcoming series of workshops will highlight manufacturer product compliance strategies for RoHS2.

The presentations are designed to help manufacturers navigate through new requirements, with a focus on product conformity risk assessment, materials risk and supplier risk. Manufacturers need a systematic approach for gathering and analyzing declarations and test reports from suppliers, says Environ, which is sponsoring the roadshow.

Under RoHS2, manufacturers are required to produce technical documentation that enables assessment of RoHS conformity for the product, and includes a conformity risk assessment. “Technical documentation shall, wherever applicable, include test reports.” In particular, if the RoHS2 technical documentation for a product does not include test reports for certain parts, then the manufacturer is required to explain why test reports are not applicable. 

Manufacturers, importers and distributors are required to take immediate action for noncompliant equipment, including product withdrawal or recall if appropriate, and inform Member States where noncompliant equipment was sold. 

To register for the TechAmerica 2011 International Environmental Compliance Roadshow, which starts April 12, visit www.techamerica.org/environment2011. 

SAN JOSE — The 90-day moving average worldwide sales of semiconductors slipped 1.1% sequentially to $25.2 billion in February, on seasonality swings. Sales rose 13.6% from a year ago.

EMPALME, SONORA, MEXICO -- Arc-Tronics, a US-based contract manufacturer, will open a facility here and expects to hire up to 125 workers for the site.

OXFORD, CT – MIRTEC reported first-quarter 2011 revenue growth of more than 58% year-over-year for its North American sales and service division.

Fiscal 2010 sales grew more than 62% compared to 2009.

The firm attributes this growth to its MV-7 inline AOI product series.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Weak demand in Europe and the US has 2011 off to a slow start for PCs, a leading analyst said today.

STOCKHOLM – Pick-and-place OEM Mydata reported 2010 net sales rose 30% year-over-year to SEK 615 million ($96.9 million), buoyed by an industrywide jump in demand for SMT equipment.

DULUTH, GA – Texas Instruments said it would purchase National Semiconductor for about $6.5 billion cash.

ARLINGTON, VA -- The Electronic Components Industry Association has published status reports from electronics component manufacturers affected by the Japan earthquake and tsunami, and says there is little cause for concern over contamination of electronics goods.

LOS ANGELES -- In a surprise move, Ducommun Inc. has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire all outstanding stock and debt of electronics manufacturing services firm LaBarge for $340 million, subject to approval by LaBarge shareholders and other closing conditions.